Judge, 1930-05-03 · page 7 of 36
Judge — May 3, 1930 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Page This page contains two satirical pieces: **"The Skeptic Thinks"** (top right) mocks contemporary celebrities and their activities—Will Rogers chewing juicy fruit, John McCormack's voice, skyscrapers, Babe Ruth's rubber bat, and Marion Johnson photographing in the Bronx. The author (H.C. O'Bries) skeptically suggests these famous figures were invented by newspapers for copy rather than being genuinely significant. **"The Annual Meeting of Racketeers"** (main article) satirizes organized crime syndicates posing as legitimate business. It depicts mobsters with aliases (Scarface, The Rat, Snow-bird, Pink-toothbrush) conducting a formal corporate meeting where they divvy up territory and establish protection rackets. The satire highlights how organized crime operated with corporate structure during Prohibition-era America. Both pieces use humor to critique American society and celebrity culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Sssh, don't answer it, Mary The Annual Meeting of Racketeers grove solemn young gentlemen, wearing the conventional checked suit of big rackets, sat round the mahogany table in the dircetors’ room of the Legitimate Racket Company, Ine. On the center of the table stood a lighted candle, stuck in a uinger-ale bottle. ‘The directors chewed on ten-penny nails ind pieces of glass and said nothing. » the tense silence: the Board of Directors of the Legitimate We have all had a fine, restful) winter. Spring is here again in all its glory, and it’s time we renewed Let's all get off to a good start and our business enterprises. make 1930 a banner year. I'd like to he: w words from Slippe wore, alias Boo-Boo Hoff, alias Sidney Buckle, alias Sherwood Skydock, alias the Ferret. What hs you to say, Squint? Mr. Aldrich spit out some pieces of glass and replied: “I want the territory from in Street to 114th on mink skins. I've formed the Mink Skin Association of America, and each mink dealer will have to pay me ten cents a mink or I'll put 1 time bomb in his Murphy bed and a tablespoonful of nitro- ulycerine in his oatmeal,” “Ll take Maine to State on Scotch woolens,” said Joseph Munn, alias Scarface, alias The Rat s Capt. De “On every yard of wool I want five cents rake- off—and what do I give the merchant in return? Any member of my or; ation of woolen mer- chants who is temporarily sick is cared for, free of charge, by the Association. We feed him and his wife, the doctor's bill, look ifter his children, pay the rent and back a seven-ton truck up to his store at night and permanently remove his andise. A merchant isn’t com- pelled to join my organization if he doesn’t want to. If a merchant refuses to pay me five cents per yard, all I do is burn down his house, kidnap his baby ind send a crate of moths to eat up his tweed suitings. Isn't that a fair proposition, gentleme: FY d” Walsh, alias onl “Pink- § Charles “Snow jas Thomas Chauncey Scott, al toothbrush” Richardson bit a railroad spike in half (Continued on page 26) Lamar. mere JUDGE it may be the dentist!” Hesxrecken Huspaxnn—Thanks! The Skeptic Thinks rs chews Juicy Fruit John McCormack uses a voice dou- ble in his talkie. The new record-breaking skyse ers were put up to stimulate inte in flagpole sitting. Babe Ruth uses a rubber bat. Martin Johnson takes his. pict in Bronx Park, were merely ere Gentlemen prefer brunettes everybody loves a fat man, am MeNam game; he just imagines them. never saw a Dovnzes Puaven—Oops! Sorry, partner! I'll do as much for you some time! There isn’t any Lindbergh, Texas Guinan, George Bernard aw, OF | Grover Wh that these acters ed by newspaper re- porters to furnish copy for the papers. —R. C. O'Brien wat rap srest ures ball | CoOMeHoOoks.com